The condition of a community and effective crop damage management: A mail survey of farmers in Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Although there are many discussions on how farmers manage crop-raiding at the community level, many of communities cannot manage it effectively. To make management effective, we should discuss not only their natural... [ view full abstract ]

Although there are many discussions on how farmers manage crop-raiding at the community level, many of communities cannot manage it effectively. To make management effective, we should discuss not only their natural environmental condition but also social-economic condition. Previous studies have examined farmers’ intentions regarding the kind of management which they considered implementing, or the effect of management plans they have carried out. However, no studies are examining the kind of community management which could be carried out based on the situation of each community.

We aimed at one of the management, fencing, to reduce crop damage by wild boars. For the use of fences to be efficient, farmers must check them periodically, although in many communities could not maintenance them at the needed frequency. We surveyed natural and social-economic features of communities both conducting high and low-frequency fence maintenance.

The study area was nine cities in southern Chiba Prefecture which was wild boar habitat, and where farmers used fencing to reduce crop damage. We sent a mail survey to a community leader of a region where crop raiding by wildlife occurred from February to August 2016. The survey asked about the crop raiding situation, the kind of community-based management used and about their social conditions, for example regarding their activity and whether or not they connected to a public servant or volunteer. We also sent mail survey to each city public servant in charge of wildlife management to identify their wildlife management policy and grant that farmers could use to fencing as a reference.

We sent 1,500 questionnaires and received 944 responses (62.9%). Out of these, 656 respondents (69.6%) indicated that they experienced crop raiding by wildlife, and 307 respondents (46.8%) conducted community-based management. We analyzed the survey using a decision tree model for identifying social and environmental factors that define the frequency of maintenance. We used the frequency of maintenance as the objective variable and investigated which factor affected this frequency.

The results showed that communities that conducted high-frequency fence maintenance had a greater willingness to be trained in the management and higher community event. They also responded that a short of hands was a future concern. On the other hand, communities that conducted lower frequency fence maintenance had a higher percentage of inhabitants aged 65 and older and also believed that fences could not reduce crop damage. In conclusion, more active communities could start and continue with management, but that more hands were required. Communities that could not begin the management must be motivated to study or conduct management by beginning with what they had already been doing.